Package for aerosol products and overcap-actuator of the package



- Feb. 10,1970; ERGRAHN 3,494,510

PACKAGE FOR-AEROSOL PRODUCTS AND OVERCAP-ACTUATOR OF THE PACKAGE Filed Jan. 24, 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet l FIEiI E. "P. G. RAH N 3,494,510

mcxmn FOR AEROSOL PRODUCTS AND 1 x OVERCAP-ACIUAT0R-01, THEVPACKAGE 1 4 Sheets-Sheet 2,

Feb. 10, 1970 Filed Jan. 24, 1968 Feb. 10, 1970 E. P. G. RAHN 3,494,510

PACKAGE FOR AEROSOL PRODUCTS AND OVERCAP-ACTUATOR OF THE PACKAGE Filed Jan. 24, 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 E. P. G. RAHN PACKAGE FOR AEROSOL PRODUCTS AND Feb. 10, 1970 OVERCAP-ACTUATOR OF THE PACKAGE 4 SheL a-ts-Sheec 4 Filed Jan. 24, 1968 FIEME FIEQEU United States Patent 3,494,510 PACKAGE FOR AEROSOL PRODUCTS AND OVERCAP-ACTUATOR OF THE PACKAGE Erwin P. G. Rahn, Pittsford, N.Y., assignor t0 Wallace & Tiernan Inc., East Orange, N.J., a corporation of Delaware Filed Jan. 24, 1968, Ser. No. 700,045 Int. Cl. B67d 5/32; B65d 83/14 US. Cl. 222-153 23 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention This invention relates to a pressurized dispensing package for aerosol products and to an overcap that is convertible to a valve actuator.

Description of the prior art Numerous pressurized dispensing packages have been developed for aerosol products in the last few years. These packages have a container with a neck portion of reduced diameter and the opening at the top of the neck portion is closed by a closure that supports a valve assembly including a valve stem that extends upwardly from the closure. A spray button has been mounted on the valve stem. The downward movement of the spray button and thus the valve stem results in the product issuing forth in the form of a spray or fine mist that may be entirely gaseous or a combination of gaseous and liquid and/or solid components.

In an original or unused package, an operation of the valve by an inadvertent downward or tilting movement of the spray button is avoided by mounting a protective cap on the container. This necessitates removal of the overcap to dispense product from the container. Such protective overcap or cover is exemplified by the cover disclosed and claimed in US. Patent No. 2,775,372. That cap has an inner skirt with inwardly facing lugs at its bottom end. These lugs engage the bottom-facing portion of a bead on the container when the cap is forced on the container. This prevents the cap from falling oil. It can be removed with some force. Further downward movement of the cap is prevented by the fact that both skirts of the cap abut the container when the lugs are below the bead.

A later development was the modification of the overcap by providing a central recess or opening in the top wall of the cap. A valve actuator is slidably mounted in the opening. In such construction the top of the overcap was above the top of the valve actuator at all times. As a result, the placement of an article on top of the assembled package will not result in the operation of the valve actuator. Instead, the top of the overcap supports the article. However, this modification, that took various forms of construction, produces packages that encourage persons in a retail store to operate the valve actuator and then replace the package on the shelf. As a result, there is no assurance that a purchased package contains the amount of aerosol product originally placed in the package.

3,494,510 Patented Feb. 10, 1970 "ice In view of the foregoing deficiency of the initial modification of the package for aerosol products, there have been many developments of packages in which the structures of the overcap and the separate valve actuator are such that tampering with the package by moving the valve actuator provides a visual indication that some product has been emitted from the package. One of these constructions provides an overcap that is molded with an actuator as one piece. The actuator is joined to the overcap by frangible webs. This overcap has its top surface above that of the actuator for the protection against inadvertent operation of the valve by an article that may be placed on the package. To dispense product from the package the valve actuator is pressed downwardly and this breaks the frangible webs. 'Ihe breaking of these Webs provides a visual indication that product has been dispensed from the package. Illustrative constructions for such unitary or one-piece overcap-actuator are disclosed and claimed in US. Patent Nos. 3,223,287 and 3,348,740.

A package for aerosol products has been developed by me jointly with Saul A. Babbin. This package, as disclosed in our US. Patent No. 3,347,423, has an overcap that takes the form of a sheath that, with a bottom disc, encloses a container for the aerosol product. In that case, the overcap or sheath has a recess in its top wall. The top of the sheath or overcap is constructed with surfaces to provide with opposing surfaces of a valve actuator, within the recess, a tongue-and-groove locking structure. A downward force on the valve actuator unlocks the actuator relative to the sheath and permits the operation of the valve for emission of aerosol product. After this first use the actuator is raised by the valve stem but it does not return to its original locking position. This is another structure that provides a visual indication that there has been some use of the package.

Many packages use metal containers. Glass bottles have been used, usually protected by a continuous sheath of plastic (US. Patents Nos. 2,906,462 and 2,948,439) or the sheath (extended overcap) of US. Patent No. 3,347,423.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The package of the invention has a container with a top opening and with an upper neck portion that has a diameter that is less than that of the main body of the container. This construction provides a neck below which the container is outwardly flared to provide a shoulder that extends to the main body or side wall of the container. The container may be a glass bottle or a metal container of conventional construction. The container may have some modifications such as an extended neck or a change in the contour of the shoulder as described later. In the case of a glass bottle as the container, it is preferably provided with a plastic covering such as used in the construction disclosed in US. Patent Nos. 2,906,462 and 2,948,439. This plastic coating prevents flying glass fragments in the event of breakage of the bottle.

The container is provided with a peripheral bead at the neck. In the case of a glass bottle this bead is provided by the ferrule that closes the mouth of the bottle and supports the valve assembly of the package. A hollow valve stem extends upwardly from the closed container.

The one-piece overcap-actuator of the invention has an outer skirt with a configuration that preferably provides a pleasing ornamental effect when combined with the container. The overcap-actuator, when positioned on the container after the filling of the latter with aerosol product, has the bottom edge of its outer skirt touching or almost touching the shoulder of the container so that the outer surface of the skirt provides substantially a continuation of the desired outer surface configuration of the sides of the package.

The overcap-actuator has a top wall which is preferably fiat and has an outer skirt to provide a hollow interior in which the valve stem of the valve assembly ex tends upwardly. A conventional spray button may be positioned on the valve stem and the top of the overcap is constructed so that it will abut and move downwardly the spray button when the overcap after conversion to an actuator is pushed downwardly. In the preferred construction, a separate spray button is not used. Instead, the overcap-actuator is constructed with a hollow boss extending downwardly from the top wall of the overcap. This boss has a vertical bore that has a dimension such as to receive up to a stop shoulder the valve stem during the first use of the package. Thereafter, the valve stem remains in the bore and the overcap, that is then an actuator, is movable upward with the valve stem when a downward force is removed. The vertical bore of the hollow boss is in communication with a passageway from which the product, emitted from the container to the valve stem passed outwardly of the package by passing through an opening in the overcap-actuator. This opening may be in the outer skirt or the top wall of the overcap-actuator.

The overcap-actuator of the invention preferably has an inner skirt that extends from the top wall. This inner skirt is provided with an internal rib that is adjacent the bottom end of that skirt. This rib is located so that the upwardly facing part of the rib is below the bead or ferrule of the container when the outer skirt is abutting or is adjacent to the shoulder of the container. This occurs upon the completion of the placement of the overcap on the filled container. Of course, the dimension of the annular rib on the inside surface of the inner skirt is such that it is below the head or ferrule after that placement of the overcap on the container. To facilitate passage of this rib of the inner skirt past the bead or ferrule of the container the downwardly facing portion of the rib is beveled. During the placement of the overcap on the container the inner skirt is stretched enough for the rib to pass the bead or ferrule and then this skirt returns to its original dimension so that at least part of the rib is direcly below the bead or ferrule.

The container and the inner skirt of the overcap are constructed in this preferred embodiment so that the inher skirt is not prevented by the container from a further downward movement of the inner skirt relative to the container when such movement becomes possible upon the modification of the outer skirt as described below.

The outer skirt is constructed so that it can be modiied with respect to its height. The overcap by this con- ;truction is changed manually to a structure by which it :an serve as a valve actuator. This modification is postible by virtue of the outer skirt having a structure such ;hat a peripheral band of the skirt adjacent the bottom :nd of the outer skirt can be stripped or removed from he skirt. This band can be a marginal band or can be in intermediate band that is adjacent the bottom end. )ne structure of the skirt or sidewall of the overcap that :an permit such removal of a peripheral band is a skirt vith at least one peripheral line or narrow width of reluced wall thickness adjacent the bottom end of the outer ikilt.

When there is only one such narrow band of reduced vall thickness a marginal band is removed to provide the vvercap with an outer skirt of reduced height and thus :onvert the overcap to a valve actuator. The new bottom ind of the skirt is spaced from the shoulder of the conainer. Then downward movement is not prevented by he skirt until it abuts the shoulder of the container. \bove this lowered position of the overcap (not an acuator), the valve stem has been moved to its maximum lownward position. The stem prevents further downward novement of the actuator,

When there are two such narrow bands of reduced wall thickness and the peripheral band removed is an intermediate band between these two narrow bands, a skirt of reduced height is formed. It is separated from a peripheral band or ring that is obtained at the same time from the margin of the original skirt. That ring remains on the shoulder of the container and there is a space between the ring and the new bottom end of the outer skirt. Downward movement of the overcap that is now a valve actuator is possible until the valve stem has reached its maximum lowered position.

Of course, when the valve is opened by tilting or pivoting the valve stem about an axis normal to the axis of the stern, such movement of the actuator becomes possible upon removal of the intermediate band.

The overcap-actuator of the invention is constructed so that a part of the skirt or an extension from it can be manually grasped to remove the marginal or intermediate band from the skirt. This construction is preferably obtained by a tab extending from the skirt as an integral molded part of the overcap. The tab is located at the elevation of the band to be removed so that a manual pull on the tab pulls the band away from the rest of the skirt.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Preferred embodiments of the package of the invention and of the one-piece overcap-actuator of the present invention are illustrated in the drawings in which generally similar parts are identified by the same numerals and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view of one embodiment of the package showing the overcap-actuator in a vertical section and showing the container in elevation.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the package of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of another embodiment of the package of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a view of the package of FIG. 3 showing the overcap-actuator in vertical section and the container in elevation.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of a third embodiment of the package of this invention after the strippable marginal band has been removed.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view of the package of FIG. 5 showing the overcap-actuator in vertical section and the container in elevation.

FIG. 7 is a view of a fourth embodiment of the package showing in vertical section the overcap-actuator shown in FIG. 1 and showing in elevation a different type of container.

FIG. 8 is a view of still another embodiment of the package of the invention showing in vertical section the overcap shown in FIG. 1 and in elevation still another type of container with the uppermost part of the container being shown partly in section.

FIG. 9 is a view of a package like that shown in FIG. 7 except for the container that has a longer neck, a differently contoured s'houlder,-and the same overall height.

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary view of the package shown in FIG. 1 after the removal of the marginal band from the bottom of the skirt of the overcap and after the first use of the overcap as an actuator.

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary view of a package, like FIG. 1, but with a modified overcap-actuator and a modified container that insures proper alignment between them and a vertical guiding of the actuator during use after the marginal band, that is shown, has been removed.

FIG. 12 is a cross section taken along the line 12-12 of FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 is a cross section of the overcap-actuator as seen in FIG. 12 but without the container of the package.

FIG. 14 is a cross section of a package having an overcap-actuator and a container constructed somewhat differently than the package shown in FIG. 11 to provide a number of guides for the actuator during its downward movement.

FIG. is a cross section of the overcap of the package shown in FIG. 14 but without the container.

FIG. 16 is a fragmentary view showing in vertical section an overcap-actuator similar to that of FIG. 1 but modified by the presence of vertical ribs on the inner skirt and showing the container modified by vertical grooves in the ferrule.

FIG. 17 is a cross section taken along a line 1717 of FIG. 16.

FIG. 18 is a cross section, like FIG. 17, but of another embodiment of the package of the invention that is like that of FIG. 16 except the ferrule has ribs and the inner skirt has grooves, along with internal rib portions only that are adjacent the bottom of the inner skirt.

FIG. 19 is a fragmentary perspective view of a further embodiment of the package of the invention in which the removable band is intermediate the margin of the outer skirt and the top portion of the skirt.

FIG. 20 is a fragmentary perspective view of the package of FIG. 19 after removal of the strippable intermediate band.

FIG. 21 is a view of the package of FIG. 19 showing the overcap-actuator in vertical section and showing the container in elevation.

FIG. 22 is a modification of the package shown in FIG. 21 with the overcap-actuator having a construction so as to provide guide means for the skirt, that remains after removal of the intermediate band, to insure vertical downward movement without tilting.

FIG. 23 is a cross section of the overcap-actuator only taken along the line 23-23 of FIG. 22.

FIG. 24 is a cross section taken along the line 2424 of FIG. 22 showing a protuberance on the shoulder of the bottle in a recess of the bottom part of the skirt that becomes a separate ring with its guide for insuring vertical movement of the new skirt without tilting.

FIG. 25 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the package shown in FIG. 22.

FIG. 26 is a fragmentary cross section taken along the line 2626 shown in FIG. 25.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The package shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises a glass container generally indicated at 30. The container 30 is a glass bottle with the protective plastic coating mentioned above. This package also includes an overcapactuator generally indicated at 31 that is a molded onepiece plastic article. The overcap 31 has as part of its unitary construction a cylindrical boss 32 that depends from a recess portion 33 of a top wall 34 of overcap 31. In addition to top wall 34 and boss 32, the overcap 31 has a downwardly extending outer skirt 35 and an inner skirt 36 that is of shorter length and has its bottom end above the bottom end of outer skirt 35.

The front portion of outer skirt 35 has a hemispherical recess 37 so that a portion of the front part of outer skirt 35 is common with a portion of the front part of inner skirt 36. At the rear of the recess of this common wall portion there is an opening 38 that is coaxial with a cylindrical recess 39 in the front part of boss 32 that has its longitudinal axis in a vertical direction. A disc 40 (FIG. 2) is mounted in recess 39 and disc 40 has a central orifice 41. The disc 40 with its orifice 41 in recess 39 serves to :break up aerosol product passing outwardly through recess 37 as explained later and thus provides a mist or spray of the product that is emitted from the package. Thus, it is apparent that boss 32 functions as a spray button of conventional construction that has such disc with an orifice.

The boss 32 depends in part from recessed portion 33 of top wall 34. The downward movement, when possible as explained later, of overcap 31 moves downwardly boss 32 so that the latter, as well as the other parts of overcap 6 31 as constituted at that time, serves as a valve actuator.

The boss 32 has a central vertical bore 42 with an intermediate portion 43 of reduced cross section. Within intermediate portion 43 of bore 42 the boss 32 has a pair of shoulders 44 that are spaced from and on opposite sides of a vertical plane that includes the longitudinal axis of bore 42. The shoulders 44 limit the extent of travel of a valve stem 45 of a valve assembly (not shown except for stem 45) during the first use and subsequent uses of the package as described later.

The upper portion of vertical bore 42 is in communication with recess 39 by a horizontal passageway 46.

The recessed portion 33 of top wall 34 extends rearwardly and downwardly from a position adjacent the front part of outer skirt 35 to the rear part of outer skirt 35 which has a recess 47 at that location. With this construction a finger can be placed in recessed portion 33 to provide conveniently a downward force on overcap 31 while container 30 is also held in the hand, This relative movement cannot be obtained with the package shown in FIG. 1 until removal of a peripheral band 48 that is part of skirt 35 when overcap 31 is made. The band 48 is adjacent the bottom end of skirt 35. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, band 48 is a marginal band. The band 48 is strippable or removable from the balance of outer skirt 35 because skirt 35 is being constructed with a peripheral groove 59 immediately adjacent and above band 48. The groove 49 provides skirt 35 at this location with a substantially reduced wall thickness, i.e., a peripheral web joining the upper part of skirt 35 and marginal band 48. A tab 50 extends radially outward from band 48. A manual pulling on tab 50 results in tearing the web or wall of reduced thickness of skirt 35 at the elevation of groove 49 and actually results in the removal of band 48 from the package.

A strippable marginal band of plastic from the skirt of a replaceable cap has been disclosed and claimed in US. Patent No. 3,037,672. The cap cannot be removed to operate the spray button without breaking and removing the marginal band. In the package of the patent the presence of the strippable marginal band shows that there has been no use of the package. After each use, the cap is replaced in the package of that patent.

The container 30 has a neck 51 of reduced cross section as compared with a main body 52 of container 30. Between neck 51 and main body 52 the container 30 has a shoulder 53. The container 30 has a top opening that is closed by a closure having a central boss 54 through which extends valve stem 45. The closure is sealed onto container 30 by a ferrule 55 in the conventional manner. The closure also in a conventional manner supports the valve assembly.

The inner skirt 36 has on its inner surface adjacent its bottom end a continuous annular rib 56. The diameter of rib 56 is less than the maximum diameter of ferrule 55. As a result, when overcap 31 is being placed on container 30, it is necessary to stretch the bottom end portion of inner skirt 36 so that rib 56 can pass below ferrule 55. To facilitate this movement of rib 56 below ferrule 55, the bottom end of the inner skirt 36 and of its rib 56 is beveled to provide an inwardly and upwardly directed surface 57. The upper peripheral surface of rib 56 then faces ferrule 55 above it. This construction requires the use of substantial force for the removal of overcap 31 from container 30 once they have been brought together to provide the package as shown in FIG. 1.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the package has container 30 on which, in this embodiment, there is mounted overcap-actuator 31 of a somewhat different construction. The overcap 31 has outer skirt 35 and inner skirt 36 with the former having rib 56. In overcap 31 of these figures the front part 58 of the top wall 34 is downwardly inclined in the forward direction and inner skirt 36 depends from inclined part 58 as well as from the horizontal uppermost part of top wall 34 and from recessed portion 33. For this construction the front portion of outer skirt 33 is recessed so that it does not extend above inclined part 58. Also a central top portion of inclined part 58 has a recess 59 so that recess 39 is at the outer surface of overcap 31. In this construction, hemispherical recess 37 and opening 38 are not required because, at the front of overcap 31, outer skirt 35 and inner skirt 36 merge with each other and extend upwardly to the front part of boss 32.

The overcap 31 has groove 49 in outer skirt 35 and has tab 50 so that marginal band 48 can be removed from skirt 35 as the initial step for the first use of the package of FIGS. 3 and 4.

In the package of FIGS. 5 and 6 the container 30 is the same as in the previous figures but overcap 31 differs in a couple of respects from the construction of overcap 31 shown in the embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4. The boss 32 has its front part extended forwardly to be substantially coplanar with inclined part 58 of top wall 34. Instead of recess 39 and horizontal passageway 46 the vertical bore 42 has a reduced cross section from a point below the location of shoulders 44 to the top of bore 42. A passageway 60 extends from the outside of overcap 31 downwardly and inwardly for communication with bore 42.

The removable peripheral band 48 and groove 49 are part of the structure of outer skirt 35 as in the overcaps 31 of the first two embodiments that are shown in the previous figures. For this embodiment, FIG. 5 shows the package after removal of band 48.

FIGURE shows the package of FIGURE 1 after the removal of marginal band 48. This figure also shows the relative positions of overcap 31, now serving as an actuator, and container 30 after the first use or emission of a quantity of aerosol product from container 30. This relative position of the two parts results from the following sequence of operations on the package shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Tab 50 is pulled and this removes band 48. The new bottom end of skirt 35 is now spaced from a shoulder 61 of container 30 that was abutted or almost abutted by the bottom edge of original outer skirt 35. The shoulder 61 is provided by the downward and the outward contour of shoulder 53 adjacent main body 52 of container 30. The neck 51 of container 30 is sufliciently elongated to substantially space the bottom end of inner skirt 36 from the top part of shoulder 53. With this construction, overcap 31 can be moved downwardly toward container 30. During such movement valve stem 45 is further encompassed by boss 32 until the top end of stem 45 is in the part of bore 42 that has the reduced cross section to the extent that stem 45 abuts shoulders 44. Further downward movement of overcap 31 moves valve stem 45 downwardly to open the valve of the valve assembly. This permits aerosol product to pass upwardly through stem 45 into the upper part of bore 42, out passageway 46 and out recess 39. From recess 39 the product as a spray or mist passes through opening 38 and hemispherical recess 37 and thus out of overcap 31. It is seen how overcap 31 has functioned as an actuator and has functioned also as a spray or mist dispenser after the removal of band 48.

The packages shown in FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 are three other embodiments of the package of the invention. The overcap 31 of these packages is overcap 31 used in the package of FIGS. 1 and 2. It is noted that the general outer configuration of overcap 31 is such that the sides Flare outwardly in an upward direction. This is not, of :ourse, a necessary part of the invention. It is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and even FIGS. 3 through 5 only be- :ause such overall configuration of such packages provides the pleasing ornamental effect of the package that is disclosed and claimed in US. Design Patent No. 208,- 735' that was granted to Saul A. Babbin and me. Although such overcap is shown in FIGS. 7 through 9, it would be JICfCTI'Bd that overcap 31 have a general configuration :hat is cylindrical because of the cylindrical configura- :ion of container 30 of these packages.

The containers 30 of the three embodiments of the package that are shown in FIGS. 7 through 9 are metal containers of conventional construction made from three pieces. The metal container 30 of the package of FIG. 9 differs from container 30 of FIG. 7 only by the configuration of shoulder 53. In view of the fact that neck 51 of these three containers 30 are higher than conventional overall height of containers 30 for the packages of FIGS. 7 and 8 are greater. This is not necessarily the case for container 30 of the package of FIG. 9 because shoulder 53 extends from neck :51 downwardly at a lesser rate toward main body portion 52.

The containers 30 of FIGS. 7 and 9 have a bead 62 formed at the top of the neck where the closure is secured to the shoulder portion of the container. The closure has a central boss 54 upwardly from which extends valve stem 45. The bead 62 provides functionally the equivalence of ferrule 55 in the packages of FIGS. 1 through 6 as regards the retention of overcap 31 by inner skirt 36 and rib 56.

The container 30 of the package of FIG. 8 differs from that of the package of FIG. 7 by the construction of the closure which is a valve-supporting plate 63 that has an annular downwardly facing corrugation terminated in a flange or skirt 64 crimped in sealing relationship onto a bead 65 at the top of neck 51 of that container. This is another construction of a metal container. It is disclosed in US. Patent No. 2,775,372 mentioned above. The flange 6 4 provides a bead that functions the same as ferrule 55 to retain overcap 31 on container 30 for the package of FIG. 8.

Of course, container 30 that is made of metal can have a construction other than that of the two types described above and shown in FIGS. 7 through 9. For example, instead of being made of three pieces joined together, container 30 can be a metal container made from a single piece of metal. Of course, this container 30 in the preferred construction of the invention will provide with its closure a bead at the top of the neck. This bead, as in the case of the embodiments of the package already described, will serve to retain overcap 31 on container 30, as before, by the presence of annular rib 56.

In the package of the present invention, it is preferred that the actuator, that is obtained by stripping marginal band 48 from outer skirt 35, is constructed to insure vertical movement, by cooperation with guiding means, without a tilting movement. This is accomplished by the embodiment of the package shown in FIGS. 11, 12 and 13 in which the package is constructed in the same manner as described above for FIGS. 1 and 2, except as described below. In the package of FIGS. 11, 12 and 13 container 30 has a recess 70 in its shoulder. The overcap 31 has a vertical rib 71 as an inner extension of outer skirt 35. The final, filled and assembled package as shipped to the retailer is shown in FIG. 11. It is seen that the bottom pOrtion of rib 71 is in recess 70 but the bottom end of rib 71 is spaced above the bottom of recess 70 by a sufiicient distance to permit the necessary downward movement of overcap 31 when converted to an actuator by the removal of marginal band 48. This clearance for downward movement is needed for the first use and for subsequent uses of the package to provide an emission of aerosol product from container 30.

The length of rib 71 is sufficient for its bottom part to be in recess 70 before removal of band 48. This provides the advantage of indexing overcap 31 relative to container 30 for the subsequent downward movement mentioned above. If rib 71 did not thus extend into recess 70, it would be possible to utilize recess 70 for guiding rib 71 during the downward movement to insure a vertical movement only of overcap 31. However, rotation of overcap 31 or container 30 about its longitudinal axis may be required before such downward movement is possible. This would be required if rib 71 and recess 30 were not properly aligned at the factory or had been misaligned .by handling before the package is made ready for use by the consumer by removing band 48.

The package shown in FIG. 14 differs from that of FIGS. 11, 12 and 13 by the presence of a number of ribs 80 that extend inwardly from outer skirt 35 instead of rib 71. The ribs 80 have their distal ends at a common vertical plane that includes a chord of the circle representing a cross section of container 30. Instead of recess 70 in shoulder 53, container 30 has shoulder 53 with a chordal recess that includes a vertical guide surface 81. When overcap 31 is mounted on container 30 in this embodiment of a package, ribs 80 abut vertical guide surface 81. The horizontal surface 82 of this chordal recess in shoulder 53 of container 30 is spaced from the bottom portions of ribs 80 to permit the downward movement during use, as is required for rib 71 with respect to recess 70in the package of FIGS. 11, 12 and 13.

The overcap 31 shown in cross section in FIG. 14 with container 30 is seen in FIG. 15 without container 30.

The embodiment of the package of the invention that is shown in FIGS. 16 and 17 is the same as the package shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 except for modifications of inner skirt 36 and of ferrule 55. In this package of FIG. 1-6 and 17, inner skirt 36 has a number of vertical ribs 72 extending inwardly. The ribs 72 are above annular rib 56. The ribs 72 are positioned in a set of complementary vertical grooves 73 in ferrule 55. The ferrule of a glass container for an aerosol product normally has a cylindrical surface. Thus, ferrule 55 in the embodiment of FIGS. 16 and 17 is a special construction to this extent.

It is seen that the package of FIGS. 16 and 17 has a construction such that grooves 73 provide vertical guidance for ribs 72. This insures vertical movement without a tilting action when overcap 31 is moved downward after removal of marginal band 48.

The package that is shown in FIG. 18 differs from the package shown in FIGS. 16 and 17 in the following respects. In the package of FIG. 18, ferrule 55 has vertical ribs 74 at its periphery instead of vertical grooves 73 that are in the embodiment of FIGS. 16 and 17. The ribs 74 are in vertical grooves 75 in the inner surface portion of inner skirt 36 when the package is assembled as in the case of the assembled package of FIG. 16. There is one other difference in the construction of the embodiment of FIG. 18. The annular rib 56 is discontinuous so that there is no portion of rib 56 below ribs 74. This makes possible the bringing together of the components of this package. If rib 56 were below grooves 75 it would normally be impossible to move inner skirt 36 downwardly to position rib 56 below ferrule 55.

The package shown in FIGS. 19, 20 and 21 is the same as the package shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 except for the differences described below. In the package of FIGS. 19, 20 and 21, the outer sleeve 35 of overcap 31 has peripheral groove 49 and a peripheral groove 90 above it, so that there is a strippable peripheral band 91 between grooves 49 and 90 of outer skirt 35. The overcap 31 has tab 50 extending from band 91. The grooves 49 and 90 result in frangible webs for the wall of outer skirt 35 at the elevations of these grooves. These are broken when band 91 is removed.

The margin of outer skirt 35 below groove 49 becomes a ring 92 that remains on container 30 at shoulder 61 when band 91 is removed. At this time, the package appears as seen in FIG. 20. It is noted that the new bottom end of outer skirt 35 is spaced from the top of newly created ring 92. After the first use of the package, overcap 31 is moved upwardly by valve stem 45 but the space between ring 92 and the new bottom of skirt 35 will be less. This reduced spacing is apparent from the earlier description of other embodiments of the invention.

Of course, other packages of the invention can be obtained by modifying the package of FIGS. 19, 20 and 21 to insure vertical guides. One modification of that pack- 10 age would provide grooves 73 in ferrule 55 and ribs 72 extending inwardly from inner skirt 36 as in the case of the package of FIGS. 16 and 17. In another case, ferrule can be provided with ribs 74 and inner skirt would be provided with grooves 75 as in the case of FIG. 18.

Other methods of providing vertical guides for the package of FIGS. 19, 20 and 21 can be obtained by modification. One such modification is shown in FIG. 22 in which the package includes overcap 31 that is modified by having vertical fingers 93 that are joined to the inner surface portion of outer skirt 35 by webs 94. Some of fingers 93 extend downwardly from top wall 34. One finger 93 extends from recess 37 of outer skirt 35. The webs 94 are sufficiently thin to be frangible. The webs 94 at the elevation of band 91 are broken when band 91 is stripped from outer skirt 35 as explained above in connection with the embodiment shown in FIGS. 19, 20 and 21. The fingers 93 and webs 94 extend below band 91. The fingers 93 extend between pairs of guiding protuberances 95 that extend inwardly from outer skirt 35 at the elevation of band 91. This insures indexing of new skirt 35 relative to ring 92 when band 91 is removed. The bottom end of fingers 93 is suflficiently spaced from shoulder 53 of container 30 to permit adequate downward movement of overcap 31, after removal of band 91, to abut valve stem 45 against shoulders 44 and then move stem 45 downward to open the valve assembly for emission of product from the package.

It will be apparent that webs 94 below groove 49 will be broken when overcap 31, after removal of band 91, is moved downwardly.

In addition, to prevent rotation of band 92 about container 30 the latter at shoulder 61 has a protuberance 96 that extends into a recess 97 at the bottom part of outer skirt 35 that becomes ring 92. This also insures that the overcap, as an actuator and dispenser, emits product in the proper direction relative to the holding of the packages container when the container has other than a circular configuration for its cross section. For example, when container 30 is oval in cross section, it will be held more conveniently in a particular manner and the desired direction of spray is determined by the manner of holding the container.

In view of the foregoing disclosure of many different embodiments of the present invention in the form of a package and in the form of an overcap-actuator, many other modifications of the package and the overcap-actuator will be suggested to one of ordinary skill in the art. For example, overcap 31 can be constructed to have fingers 93 with webs 94 joining them to outer skirt 35 and fingers 93 can have sufficient length to extend into recesses like recess 70 (FIG. 11) to provide indexing initially and ultimately vertical guiding. This construction would eliminate the need for the pairs of protuberances 95. Except for certain configurations of containers, protuberances 96 and recess 97 could also be eliminated in this modified package. It is also apparent that the container is not required to take the configuration disclosed in the foregoing preferred embodiments. Many new shapes for the main body of the container are possible.

The overcap is preferably made of a plastic material and is preferably a one-piece molded article. Suitable plastic materials are thermoplastic-organic polymers that include polyethylene and polypropylene. The one-piece overcap eliminates the time and cost of assembling parts to be placed as an assembly on the container to complete the package.

The disclosure above of preferred embodiments has been presented merely for purpose of illustration of the invention that is set forth in the claims that follow.

I claim:

1. An overcap for a package of an aerosol product and convertible to an actuator which comprises:

(1) a top wall;

(2) an outer skirt extending downwardly from said top wall and being constructed to include a removable peripheral band adjacent the bottom end of said skirt; and

(3) an inner skirt depending within and spaced from the wall of said outer skirt and being constructed adjacent its bottom end to engage an annular bead of a reduced neck portion of a container so that the use of substantial force is required for the removal of the overcap from the container once they have been brought together, said inner skirt having its bottom end at an elevation above the bottom end of said outer skirt,

said overcap having in its top portion an opening for emission of aerosol product and said overcap becoming an actuator with a skirt of less height upon removal of said band and one of said inner skirt and said outer skirt has a construction on its inner surface at a peripheral portion with a vertical extension to cooperate with a complementary opposing verticallyextending surface portion of one of any lowermost portion of said outer skirt separated from the overcap and the peripheral band upon removal of that band, and of a container for aerosol product and having that opposing surface portion adjacent the junction of the shoulder portion and the main body of the container in the case of the outer skirt and of a container for aerosol product and having that opposing surface portion on an annular bead at the neck of the container in the case of the inner skirt, said inner surface portion in the case of the outer skirt constituting a vertical rib having a downward extension as a finger below the junction of the band and the outer skirt remaining after removal of the band, and said complementary opposed surface portions being at least in partial opposed relationship prior to removal of said band at least when the overcap is mounted on the container so that the complementary surface portions insure vertical relative movement only between said overcap and the container when operation of the overcap as an actuator is permissible after removal of the band.

2. The overcap of claim 1 wherein said skirt is constructed to provide said removable band at the bottom margin of said skirt.

3. The overcap of claim 2 wherein said construction of said skirt is provided by a peripheral groove in said skirt adjacent its bottom end to form a frangible web in the wall of the skirt at the elevation of the groove and said overcap is a one-piece molded article of a plastic material.

4. The overcap of claim 3 wherein said skirt has at said marginal band an outwardly extending tab to facilitate manual grabbing of the marginal band for removal from said skirt of said overcap.

5. The overcap of claim 1 wherein said skirt is constructed to provide said removable band at an elevation spaced from the end of said skirt and to provide at the same time a separate ring of the material of the overcap, said separate ring constituting said lowermost portion of the outer skirt separated from the overcap upon removal of said band and said separate ring having on its inner surface a pair of vertically-guiding protuberances that index the outer skirt, remaining in after removal of the band, relative to that ring and the finger extends partially between that pair prior to the band removal.

6. The overcap of claim 5 wherein said construction of said skirt is provided by a band of vertically spaced peripheral grooves in said skirt adjacent the bottom end of the skirt to form frangible webs in the wall of the skirt at the elevations of the grooves and said overcap is a onepiece molded article of a plastic material.

7. The overcap of claim 6 wherein said skirt has between said peripheral grooves an outwardly extending tab to facilitate grabbing of the removable band between 12 said peripheral grooves for removal of said band from said skirt.

8. The overcap of claim 1 and further including a boss depending downwardly from said overcap and within said inner skirt, said boss having avertical bore to receive a valve stem extending upwardly from a container and a passageway extending from the vertical bore and communicating with said opening in the top portion of said overcap.

9. The overcap of claim 1 wherein said construction of one of said inner skirt and outer skirt is a construction of said inner skirt that includes vertical ribs extending inwardly to cooperate with vertical grooves in an annular head at the neck of the container for aerosol product, said construction of said inner skirt to engage said bead being an inwardly directed annular rib.

10. The overcap of claim 1 wherein said construction of one of said inner skirt and outer skirt is a construction of said inner skirt that includes vertical grooves extending inwardly to cooperate with vertical ribs in an annular bead at the neck of the container for aerosol product, said construction of said inner skirt to engage said head being inwardly directed annular rib segments having their ends spaced from vertical planes passing through said vertical grooves in said inner skirt.

11. The overcap of claim 1 wherein said construction in one of said inner skirt and outer skirt is in the outer skirt that is provided with at least one vertical rib extending inwardly and extending downwardly to a suflicient extent to be guided in a vertical direction by another part of the assembly after removal of said peripheral band.

12. The overcap of claim 1 wherein said skirt is constructed to provide said removable peripheral band by the outer skirt having vertically spaced peripheral grooves adjacent the bottom end of the skirt to form frangible webs in the wall of the skirt at the elevations of the grooves so that upon removal of said peripheral band there is formed an outer skirt of shorter height and also formed below a separate ring of material from the outer skirt of said overcap and wherein said construction in one of the inner skirt and the outer skirt is a construction for the outer skirt, said construction being vertical fingers extending inwardly from said outer skirt and joined to the outer skirt by a vertical frangible web for each finger, said fingers extending downwardly below the portion of the outer skirt constituting the removable band portion of said outer skirt.

13. The overcap of claim 12 wherein said outer skirt has pairs of protuberances extending inwardly adjacent the bottom end of said outer skirt to provide vertical guides by each pair of one of said fingers upon removal of said peripheral band.

14. A package for aerosol product which comprises:

(1) an overcap having the construction recited in claim 1; and

(2) a container for aerosol product, said container having:

(a) a main body,

(b) an upper neck portion with a top opening and having a diameter for the neck portion that is less than that of the main body,

(0) a shoulder portion between and having a juncture with the main body and the upper neck portion,

said container having at its upper part an annular bead and having a valve stem of a valve assembly extending upwardly from said container, said valve stem being movable between a closed position and an open position at which aerosol product is emitted through said valve stem from the interior of said container and ultimately through said opening in its top portion of said overcap,

said outer skirt having its bottom end adjacent the juncture of the shoulder and the main body of the container part spaced at a greater distance from that juncture upon removal of said peripheral band to permit relative movement between said container and said outer cap for a distance sufficient for said overcap to move said valve stem from the closed position to the open position, and said inner skirt being sufficiently spaced from said shoulder prior to removal of said peripheral band to maintain a space between the shoulder and said inner skirt during said relative movement between said container and said overcap.

15. The package of claim 14 wherein said overcap includes a boss depending downwardly from said overcap and within said inner skirt, said boss having a vertical bore to receive said valve stem and having a passageway extending from the vertical bore and communicating with said opening in the top portion of said overcap.

16. The package of claim 15 wherein said vertical bore has a shoulder to limit the depth to which said valve stem can be received in said vertical bore.

17. The package of claim 14 wherein said construction of one of said inner skirt and outer skirt is a construction of said inner skirt that includes vertical ribs extending inwardly to cooperate with vertical grooves in an annular bead at the neck of the container for aerosol product, said construction of said inner skirt to engage said bead being an inwardly directed annular rib.

18. The package of claim 14 wherein said construction of one of said inner skirt and outer skirt is a construction of said inner skirt that includes vertical grooves extending inwardly to cooperate with vertical ribs in an annular head at the neck of the container for aerosol product, said construction of said inner skirt to engage said bead being inwardly directed annular rib segments having their ends spaced from vertical planes passing through said vertical grooves in said inner skirt.

19. The package of claim 14 wherein said construction in one of said inner skirt and outer skirt is in the outer skirt that is provided with at least one vertical rib extending inwardly and extending downwardly to a snfficient extent to be guided in a vertical direction by another part of the assembly after removal of said peripheral band.

20. The package of claim 19 wherein said another part that guides said vertical rib extending inwardly from said outer skirt is a recess in said container adjacent the juncture of the shoulder portion and the main body.

21. The package of claim 14 wherein said skirt is constructed to provide said removable peripheral band by the outer skirt having vertically spaced peripheral grooves adjacent the bottom end of the skirt to form frangible webs in the wall of the skirt at the elevations of the grooves so that upon removal of said peripheral band there is formed an outer skirt of shorter height and also formed below a separate ring of material from the outer skirt of said overcap and wherein said construction in one of the inner skirt and the outer skirt is a construction for the outer skirt, said construction being vertical fingers extending inwardly from said outer skirt and joined to the outer skirt by a vertical frangible web for each finger, said finger-s extending downwardly below the portion of the outer skirt constituting the removable band portion of said outer skirt.

22. The package of claim 21 wherein said outer skirt has pairs of protuberances extending inwardly adjacent the bottom end of said outer skirt to provide vertical guides by each pair for one of said fingers upon removal of said peripheral band.

23. The package of claim 22 wherein said container adjacent the juncture of the shoulder portion and the main body has a protuberance and said ring formed as a separate component upon removal of the peripheral band has a recess to receive said protuberance to provide indexing of said ring relative to said container.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,180,532 4/1965 Michel 222182 3,253,749 5/1966 Sagarin 222-182 3,347,423 10/1967 Rahn et al 222-453 X 3,367,540 2/1968 Lehmann 222153 STANLEY H. TOLLBERG, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 222402.13 

